Love Match
by AJsRandom
Summary: Uther decides Arthur needs to get married, and this time he's got a game plan- a twisted mix of "Love Connection" and "The Bachelor." And poor Merlin has to make everything go right, of course. Who will really win here? Crack will definitely be involved! Arwen and light Mergana.
1. Chapter 1

**This nutty idea came to me one day as I thought about how many girls our boys got to be with. Arthur wins, of course, and that sounded like a game show to me. And after months of developing, here it is! This will be about 5-ish chapters long. The actual game is next chapter. :)**

**Nope, I don't own _Merlin_. If I did, they'd be gearing up to film season/series 7 as I write this.**

* * *

"Arthur," Uther said one evening at dinner, "It's time you married."

Said prince mentally rolled his eyes. He'd heard this speech before. Several times, in fact. Nothing really happened as a result. A princess or two, along with her family, would be invited to the castle. After a few weeks of wining and dining, picnics, walks in the garden, horse rides through meadows, et cetera, the princess and her family would return to their home. The princesses were always lovely and well-bred, of course, but despite his father's scheming and negotiating, none ever caught Arthur's fancy for long. The exception was Sophia Tír-Mòr, but then again, she'd enchanted him too. He'd never gotten the straight story from Merlin about that . . .

Uther took a look at his son staring out into space, and said a little more firmly, "I have a _different_ plan in mind this time."

Arthur snapped out of his reverie. "So what's different about this plan, Father?"

"This plan involves a competition of sorts. A game, if you will. Noblewomen from various kingdoms outside Camelot will be invited here. Their identities shall be kept secret from _most_ inhabitants of the castle. In a public forum, these women will sit behind screens while they answer questions _you_ pose to them. The _audience_ will vote on the three women they'd most like to see you with. _You_ will date _each_ of these three women and choose one of them to marry."

Arthur stared at his father for a minute, neither blinking nor breathing. Uther snapped his fingers in his son's face and Arthur began blinking and breathing again. "Wow, that's some plan. Wait. So _you_ get to choose potential brides, an _audience_ gets to narrow them down and _I_ have the final say?"

"Yes," Uther replied, pleased that Arthur had understood the first time around. He really hated repeating himself. "Well that sounds . . ." he cast about for a suitable word, ". . . equitable. And you will honor my choice?"

Uther looked a little discomfited at this question, but answered in the affirmative.

Arthur nodded at this. It sounded fair, except he was already in love. With someone of which his father would never approve. That was a definite problem, since he had no desire to marry someone he didn't love. If only he could replace one of the women with his lady love, then his father would _have_ to let them marry, right? He needed a plan and he needed someone to help.

Just as he was starting to stand, Uther started to talk. "Oh, and Arthur—" his son paused mid-rise, "I'm sending the invitation letters tomorrow. So now you have an idea of how much time you have to prepare."

Arthur straightened, "Thank you father. If you don't mind, training was particularly brutal today, so I'd like to retire as soon as possible."

"Of course. Good night, Arthur," Uther replied genially. Arthur bowed and made his way to his chambers. _Merlin had better be there_, he thought, _I don't want to look all over creation for him_.

Luckily for him, and Merlin, the servant was indeed in Arthur's chambers. The Prince got right down to business. "Okay Merlin, stop what you're doing."

Merlin was sorting dirty laundry from clean laundry, since both tended to end up on the floor if he didn't put the clean away, right away. Now he'd lose track of which was which and he'd have to start all over again. _But hey, whatever the boss commands, right?_ So he dropped the sock he was holding back to the floor and stood still. "Yes Sire?"

"Wait until you hear about this _interesting_ plan my Father's devised for me. It's almost as if he's been spying on me and knows _things_."

"_Things?_" Merlin repeated. He didn't bother to point out that there were guards and servants all over the castle, most of whom would be glad to report to the King the doings of his son, for a price.

"Yes, like _whom I spend my time with?_ A certain friend of yours, of the female persuasion? Anyhow, listen to this plan." And he proceeded to fill Merlin in on the details of the "competition" his Father had concocted.

"That is _awful_," Merlin concluded. "Gwen will be totally heartbroken and you'll be trapped in a loveless marriage. Probably." Arthur gave Merlin the "evil eye," and Merlin said, "What? It's true, isn't it? You do still love her, right?"

"Yes," Arthur growled. "So I've come up with a brilliant _counter_-plan. Father is sending the invitations out tomorrow. I want you to intercept one of the messengers and offer to deliver it for him. But instead of doing that, you'll bring it _here_ so we can re-write it to make it say _Guinevere_ is invited. Then you'll deliver it to her, and she'll be delirious with joy. She'll be one of the three chosen and I will choose her to marry." And he fell backwards onto his bed.

Merlin stood there looking at Arthur, his hand on his chin and a finger tapping his mouth. "That could work, I suppose. We'd have to hide Gwen from Uther until it was time for all the ladies to answer the questions. And she'd have to reply to the invitation as if she was the invited noblewoman—she won't like lying."

"She'd do it for me," the Prince replied. "You can help with the hiding and replying too."

"Gee thanks," Merlin replied sarcastically. "And will you save me from losing my head if I'm caught?"

"Oh, you worry too much. Besides, my plan is foolproof. Or it would be if you weren't involved. Ha!"

Merlin rolled his eyes and ignored the insulting joke. Luckily he had a little extra "something" that would help if he did get caught. Arthur's half-baked plan _had_ to work. He and Gwen _had_ to end up together or destiny would blow up in everyone's faces.

"Okay Arthur, let's get you to bed. Maybe you'll have recovered your sense in the morning," Merlin said, and helped the Prince up.

"Hey, I resent that," Arthur replied.

"Good. It's working already." Merlin helped Arthur into bed and snuffed all the candles.

Suddenly Arthur sat up. "Don't forget to be up early to waylay that messenger, Merlin."

"Don't worry Arthur, I'm all over it." At that, Arthur dropped back into bed."Good night Arthur."

Arthur's reply was a snore. Merlin left and returned to his own chamber.

xxxXxxx

Luckily for Arthur (and Merlin) Arthur's plan went off without a hitch. The messenger took a few days off, in the tavern. Gwen _did_ bend her morals "for Arthur" to get into the competition. And the forgeries were not detected. Everything was set for Gwen to "win" the competition. Merlin had a few more details to watch over, but everything was looking good.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Wooo! I got reviews! Thanks for those, the faves and follows. :) It's not the chapter with the game- sorry! I hope you'll like it anyway.**_

_**PsalmReader- You'll see part of what Morgana does here.**_

_**Stacy- Of course Merlin does all the work. Doesn't he always? ;)**_

_**larasmith- All your questions will be answered here.**_

_**Sherri- I hope so! Enjoy!**_

* * *

Merlin was awake early the next morning. He stationed himself near the stables so he could see the messengers as they left. Not too long later, he saw the group of young men exit the castle and walk toward him. They all filed into the stables, emerging minutes later with their readied horses. He sauntered out from his hiding place like he'd been taking a casual walk across the courtyard. Merlin strolled up to one and made to engage him in conversation.

"Hey there. Where are you off to this morning?" Merlin asked the young man.

"Northumbria, on the King's orders," he replied.

"Wow, I've heard that's a lovely area. I've always wanted to see it myself."

"Really," the young man replied. He seemed distracted.

"Hey," Merlin said. "I've an idea. The Prince has given me a couple of days off. Why don't I deliver whatever it is, and you can relax for a couple of days."

"I'm not . . ." the messenger thought a moment. "Well, why not? I hardly get any rest between errands anyway. Here, take the horse." He handed off the horse's reins to Merlin, and explained the what and where of the job. "Have a nice trip Merlin," he said as he walked away.

"Enjoy your days off," Merlin yelled back. He chuckled as he mounted the horse and rode off with the other messengers.

Not long after they'd separated to the various roads, Merlin turned around and headed back to Camelot. He came back through a different gate and stabled the horse at a place in the lower town, promising to come back for it later in the day. A few minutes later, he entered the castle near Gaius's chambers and went right to his room.

Fortunately Gaius was out. Merlin didn't want to answer questions about why he was back here. He carefully unrolled the parchment and stared at it a minute, thinking. He found an identical-sized piece of parchment and laid it next to the unfurled scroll. After making sure he had the wording right, he held each hand over a paper and said, "_Áwrítaþ epistol tó þes carte, onwendþ ágennama tó Guinevere_."

The words from the invitation copied themselves to the blank parchment, changing the Lady's name from _Jennafær_ to _Guinevere_. Now he hoped Arthur had found out how to get access to the royal seal or Gwen would know something's up.

Merlin set off for Arthur's chambers, only to meet the Prince coming out. "Have you got it?" Arthur asked.

"Right here," Merlin replied, holding up the rolled parchment. "I've already copied it with the name changed."

"Oh that's what took you so long I had to fetch my own breakfast."

"Yeah," Merlin said, and rolled his eyes. _Poor baby Arty_.

"Anyway, have you figured out how to get the seal?"

"Yep. Father's going on a ride with Morgana in a little while. While he's gone we'll sneak into his chambers and use the seal."

"Sounds good."

"Let's find a window overlooking the courtyard so we can tell when he leaves."

"Arthur, I never knew you were so devious."

"Wait 'til I really get going."

So they went back into Arthur's room and watched the courtyard. A short time later, they saw Uther and Morgana come out of the castle to find their horses waiting. Just before she mounted her horse, Morgana turned to the window they were peering out of and winked. And then they were off, riding out the gate.

Merlin was taken aback—_did she know something?_ "Why did she do that? Does she know what we're doing?"

Arthur scratched at his chin. "I _might_ have mentioned something of the sort to her. Besides, we'll likely need her help to disguise Guinevere anyhow. Unlike you, I don't know anything about dresses and make-up." "

Hey, I _told_ you that wasn't for me—"

"Shut up _Mer_lin, we need to get this done."

"Right."

So they ambled off to the King's chambers. Arthur used his princely powers of persuasion to get past the guards and they went straight over to Uther's desk. After poking around in a couple drawers, they found the seal and wax. They'd just about got the wax lit when they heard keys in the door.

"_Mer_lin, put it out!"

"I'm trying to not burn myself—OW! Never mind."

"Get down here!" Arthur reached up to yank Merlin behind the desk just as the door opened. It was one of his father's servants; he went to a wardrobe and took out a riding crop, then left again.

"Ow, you didn't have to yank so hard!"

"Quit whining and relight it." Without further ado, or interruption, they sealed the scroll and left the King's chambers. They walked a few corridors away then stopped. Arthur looked around for passers-by. Finding none, he handed the scroll to Merlin. "Now take this to Guinevere. Say whatever you have to so she'll agree to participate. Offer her whatever help she needs, and remember Morgana will help too. Since Morgana's gone, she's probably back at her house sewing. Okay? Go."

Merlin gave Arthur a queer look. "How do you know Gwen's schedule?" Arthur merely stared at him as if to say "how do you think?" _Hello, girlfriend_. Merlin blinked. "Ah, yes. I'm an idiot."

"I'm glad to know you've acknowledged your place in the world. Now go!"

Merlin scurried off, out of the castle and into the lower town. He knocked on Gwen's door and heard a faint, "come in," so he opened the door and stepped inside.

"Oh hi Merlin, what can I do for you?" Gwen asked.

"Well actually _I_ have something for _you_," he replied.

She stood up, puzzled. He walked over to her and handed her the scroll. "Go ahead, open it."

Gwen looked at the seal and said, "The royal seal . . . what could the king want with me?"

"That's why you need to _open it_ Gwen," he laughed.

She laughed and broke the seal, then unfurled the scroll. He watched her eyes widen in disbelief as they went back and forth, reading what was there. When she got to the end, her mouth popped open. She started to wobble, so Merlin guided her to sit on the bench at her table. He sat beside her as she finally spoke, "I—I can't believe . . ."

"What is it Gwen?"

"I've been invited to . . . to participate in a _game_, a competition."

"For . . ?" He prompted.

"To win—well, Arthur's hand. In marriage. I don't understand though—why me? Wouldn't the King invite only noblewomen?"

He took the invitation from her and pretended to see it for the first time. "Well Gwen, it's addressed to you. There's your name right there." He pointed it out.

"Oh yeah," she replied, still dazed. "But if I accept this, I'll have to lie and pretend I'm someone I'm not. And even if I do, Uther will recognize me and won't allow me to enter."

"Gwen, calm down. This is for Arthur, right?" She nodded. "You like him and he likes you, right?" She nodded again. "Okay then. If this game gets you and Arthur together _legitimately_, in a way Uther _has_ to recognize it, isn't it worth a little lie?" He couldn't _believe_ he was doing this. Here he was, the _good guy_, persuading his _good_ friend to do something _wrong_. And it was _working_, he could tell. _Yikes_.

"Well, I suppose it's worth it. If we could be married, that would be wonderful." He could practically see stars twinkling in her eyes.

"As far as the King not recognizing you, well, you'll be hiding in plain sight beforehand. He doesn't know your full name, and you can use an alias when your name is announced. Like, ah, a variation on your name. Maybe _Jennafær_? Anyway, you'll have to use a fake name when you reply."

"Oh yes. Jennafær; I like that. And my disguise for the game?"

"Well, we can probably ask Morgana to dress and make you up so you don't look like yourself. Or more like your best self," he said hurriedly when she gave him an annoyed look.

"What do you think?"

"I think . . . that I'm going to do this!" She clapped her hands excitedly.

Merlin stood. "Great! If you need help with anything . . . well, anything besides the girl stuff, I'm at your disposal." He winked at her playfully.

"Thank you Merlin; I'll let you know."

He turned and left her house, feeling so light-hearted that he almost skipped back to the castle.

xxxXxxx

Time passed in Camelot as Merlin watched the replies come in from the invited ladies. Rumors as to who was invited spread through the castle and town. The only ones who knew for sure were the King, the royal scribe and the messengers. And for once, none of them were talking.

Finally the carriages started arriving. None of them bore any identifying marks. Everyone who stepped out of them were either veiled or hooded and conducted straight to guest chambers. Only a few maids were allowed in those chambers, and _they_ didn't talk either. Merlin and others mused that the King must have paid them handsomely for their silence.

Finally the morning of the competition arrived. On his way to Arthur's chambers, he saw Gwen in the corridor outside Morgana's chambers. He threw her a wave and she waved back nervously. Then she just stood there, so he walked over to her. "Hey Gwen."

"Hiiiii . . ." She stuttered back.

"Nervous huh?" She nodded, so he took her hands. "Hey, everything's going to be fine. Remember why you're doing this—Arthur. It's all going to work out, I promise." And he was darn well determined to keep that promise.

She took a deep breath. "Thank you Merlin. I just have to remember my goal. It will be worth it." She turned to open the door to Morgana's chambers. "I'll see you later!"

"Later, then. Good luck Gwen." As she closed the door he turned and resumed his walk to Arthur's chambers.

Merlin opened the door to find Arthur pacing. "Breakfast!" He declared and set it on the table. Arthur glanced at it then resumed his pacing. Merlin shrugged and walked over to open the drapes. He turned and contemplated Arthur for a moment. "Arthur, you really should eat something."

"Not hungry," Arthur replied shortly, and kept pacing.

"You're going to wear a rut in the floor if you don't stop pacing." He was ignored. _This will take some finesse,_ Merlin thought. He walked over to Arthur and placed his hand on his shoulder, then whispered almost soundlessly, "_stillaþ_." Arthur immediately stopped, briefly closing and reopening his eyes.

"What were you saying?" Arthur asked.

"I said, have some breakfast. It's going to be an eventful day and you'll need your strength."

"Yeah, right you are." Arthur immediately sat down and started on his breakfast. When Merlin inquired about his clothing choices, he replied calmly and succinctly.

When Arthur finished eating, he got up and let Merlin help him dress. "How are you feeling Sire?" Merlin asked.

"I feel great!" Arthur replied. He felt like he'd had the best night's sleep ever combined with the rush of a good training session. "I am ready to go and face this game. I just know it's all going to work out somehow."

Merlin brushed down Arthur's jacket, then stood back to make sure everything looked all right. "That's great to hear Arthur. That's the kind of positive thinking that will get you through the next few days. Ready?"

"I'm as ready as I'm going to get! Let's go."

As they walked out the door and down to the Great Hall, Merlin thought about Arthur's abrupt change in attitude. Maybe he'd overdone the spell a bit. I_'ll have to remember it though. Who knows when he'll flip out again?_

* * *

_**Thanks again for reading! About Jennafær- I read somewhere that Jennifer is the English version of the Welsh Guinevere. I hope that's right. :) I took some artistic license with the spelling. Also, my Old English is probably gibberish- I really did try to get it to say what I wanted.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**All right, my faithful readers, here is the game! It was easiest to write it in script form- the next chapter goes back to normal. The crack stays though! :) Thanks for the reviews, faves, etc. Review replies:**

**larasmith: Uther never pays that much attention to servants, except when he thinks they're sorcerers, lol! The other women don't really scheme, unless outdoing one another counts, and Gwen is ready!**

**Stacy- Arthur was not enchanted in the creation of this chapter.**

**Sherri- Thanks! It seems right, but my knowledge of Welsh is limited to BBC sci-fi/fantasy shows. :)**

**PsalmReader- I also prefer good Morgana. Writing her evil is _hard_! If you've seen season/series 1-4 you should be able to figure out who these lovely ladies are. I invite y'all to guess- the answers are at the end, just in case. :)**

* * *

Love Match: Camelot Edition

Host: Welcome to Love Match! The game that will find a wife for one lucky bachelor! Today we have here Camelot's most desired man, Prince Arthur Pendragon! Welcome to the show, Prince Arthur.

Arthur: Thank you very much, I'm glad to be here. (_Ladies in the audience swoon_)

H: Now it's time to get on with the game. Prince Arthur, we have five lovely ladies here that all have the potential to be your wife. They were selected by your father from available women in yours and bordering kingdoms. In this first round, you will ask these lovely ladies questions chosen at random. The audience will vote on which three ladies they think have the most potential to be your wife. In the second round, you will go on a single separate date with each of these women. You will select one of these three to be your wife.

A: Sounds good to me! Better than having a "marriage" arranged for me by my father. "Marriage" meaning strategic political alliance, of course.

H: I totally understand your meaning Your Highness! And now, without further ado, let us begin! So, what's our first question today? And remember ladies, you are to rotate who answers first.

A: If I held a feast in your honor, what food would you like served?

1: Hmm. My appetite is off and on. And I like keeping my figure thin. So, light meats, fruits, bread, and wine. And I'll indulge in cake.

2: Oh, I like simple yet delicious meals. Chicken with a nice in-season vegetable, maybe bread if it's a baking day.

3: Oooh, not chicken. Especially destiny and chicken with cold beans. I prefer light things, like fruit.

A: Uh-huh. 4?

4: I tend to like more exotic foods, like frogs. No, I mean frog's legs of course. And various insects- dipped in chocolate of course. And also fruit.

5: I am accustomed to fairly rich fare. Capons, meat pies, fresh vegetables, cheese, and bread at every meal. Wine too, of course.

H: Wow, A wide variety there. Let's move on.

A: Question two- what's a favorite outdoor activity of yours?

2: Picnicking by a lake or stream. I can just relax and let my worries go.

3: Outdoors? Ugh, thank you, no.

4: Horseback riding. I don't get to do it nearly enough, but it's something I can actually do.

5: I love hunting. The thrill of the chase and all- it's not just for men you know!

1: Swordfighting, definitely. I've been known to beat certain men. And also hunting.

H: Well, that was definitely illuminating. Next question!

A: Okay- Question three: what is your favorite part of a tournament?

3: Watching the men. Even if they're not allowed to watch me upon pain of death. *giggle*

4: The banquets! Such an exciting variety of food- even exotic dishes, my favorite kind!

5: The implied danger of it all- especially jousting. Knowing that every fight or joust could be your last, it's such a rush, even just watching!

1: Oh I totally agree with the rush of danger, that fine line between victory and death. I'd prefer to actually participate though.

2: The displays of strength. The roar of the crowd- it's so easy to get swept up in that excitement and forget the sheer brutality. I suppose the men need their games so they don't get restless.

A: Question four: If you were a flower, which one would you be? And why?

4: A buttercup. They're my favorite color.

5: Lavender. I just love the scent- it's so peaceful and relaxing. And purple is just gorgeous.

1: A purple rose. It's uncommon, royal and enchanting. Much like myself.

2: Honeysuckle. It has such a divine scent and can be draped anywhere, a lot like my other favorite, gilly-flower.

3: Narcissus. It's not too tall and not too short. Like me. It's also blonde and bold like me.

A: Interesting answers ladies. So, Question five: What are the most defining qualities of a knight?

5: Honesty, loyalty, courage, and fairness.

1: Loyalty, obedience, valor, and excellence in arms.

2: Honor, fairness, courtesy, and mercy.

3: Gallantry, loyalty, courage, and faithfulness.

4: Courage, generosity, honesty, and physical fitness.

H: And now all questions have been answered! It's time for our audience members to vote for the three lovely ladies whom our prince will date. Under your seats you'll find parchment, quills and ink. Please write the designated numbers of the three ladies you think would suit the prince the best.

_The audience reaches for the items beneath their seats. A few know right away whom they like and finish writing quite rapidly. A few more are unsure and tap their chins with their quills, write, scribble out what they've written, and write some more. The vast majority deliberate carefully before writing anything then carefully fold their parchment when the ink is dry. The host allows them several minutes to complete this task. _

H: And now, ladies and gentlemen, please hand your votes down to the end of the row so they may be calculated. Good knights, please gather them up and deliver them to the tally person in the council room.

_The knights proceed to gather the votes, then hand them all to Sir Leon, who exits the room. Arthur tries not to fidget nervously. _

H: So now we wait for the results. For our entertainment, Sir Lancelot will juggle various items for us. Take it away, Sir Lancelot!

_Lancelot proceeds to the front of the room and asks for items to juggle from the audience. They include daggers, quills, inkpots, rings, and flowers. _

_Meanwhile, in the council chambers, the tally person counts the votes and writes the results on another piece of parchment. He just finishes when Merlin sneaks from behind a column, holds out his hand and whispers "_Swefe nu_." The tally person falls forward, hitting his head on the table. Merlin cringes at this then sneaks to the table to look at the results. _

_"_Let's see . . . Gwen's ahead, good. Morgana? Aw maaaan! Oh well. Mithian—hmm. I don't know much about her, but she can't be as bad as Elena was. All right, everything's in order for now._" And with that he snuck out the same way he snuck in—tripping over his own feet. The tally person woke with a snort at the noise, gathered the folded parchment pieces and the counting sheet and left the room. _

_The tally person enters the Great Hall just as Lancelot is about to juggle six daggers. The host sees him enter and Lancelot maneuvers to catch all six daggers without injury. The audience claps while Lance takes a bow and gratefully moves to exit the room. _

H: Here's our tally person! Thank you Sir Lancelot for your exciting juggling program! We're thrilled that your limbs are still intact . . . So Prince Arthur, are you ready to find out whom you'll be dating in the next few days?

A: I do believe I am, Mister Host. (_No one hears him whisper "_finally_" under his breath_.)

H: All right! Here we go! Ladies, please step from behind your screens as I read your numbers. Your first date will be number . . . one, Lady Morgana! Date number two will be with . . . number five, Princess Mithian of Nemeth! And your final date will be with . . . number two, Lady Jennafær of Northumbria! (_No one- besides Arthur -recognizes "Jennafær;" she's been completely made over_)

A: (_Arthur has to close his mouth in order to not catch flies. Again._) Why not in numerical order, Mister Host?

H: For variety, Your Highness. Variety is the spice of life! Now, Prince Arthur, you must have one date per day for the next three days. How will you proceed?

A: Each lady will join me for the evening meal in my chambers. We'll enjoy a romantic meal by candlelight and get to know each other a little better. (_He winks at the three ladies. Morgana rolls her eyes, Gwen blushes and Mithian winks back_.) So tomorrow I'll see _you_ Morgana.

H: And that's all for tonight ladies and gentlemen! We'll be back in a few days to let you know the result of the competition. Goodnight Camelot!

* * *

**So did you guess right? Tee hee! Here they are:**

**1- Morgana**

**2- Gwen**

**3- Vivian**

**4- Elena**

**5- Mithian**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's date night with Morgana, hee hee hee! Spot the _Back to the Future_ reference. :)**

**larasmith- No more 20 questions and no dissension, but plenty of tension.**

**Sherri- Good work! And thanks. :)**

**Stacy- And the dates begin! **

* * *

The Lady Morgana smoothed her skirt and patted her hair lightly. She stood poised in front of Arthur's door, ready to knock. _Haven't we been here before, _she thought. She blew out a sigh and knocked on the door.

It opened to reveal Merlin, who inclined his head briefly before saying, "Milady." He gestured for her to enter and turned to face Arthur, who was standing at the table. "Goodnight Sire, Milady. Enjoy your evening." He bowed then turned back around and walked out the open door, closing it behind him.

_Now there's someone I wouldn't mind getting to know better. If only_, Morgana thought. She sighed internally this time. "Hello Arthur, let's get this over with, shall we?" she said out loud. She held out her hand for him to kiss.

Arthur took her hand and pecked at it. He gave her a sheepish smile and said, "We might as well observe all the niceties huh?" He pulled out her chair for her to sit, then seated himself.

She looked around the room. Besides those on the table, there were few candles lit. A fire burned merrily in the fireplace and dinner was laid before them. "So is this where we make small talk whilst we enjoy the delectable roast capon in front of us?" she asked.

"That's not necessary; we can just eat. We know each other well enough after a decade or so," he replied. He paused while they took a few bites off their plates. "Look, I'm sorry you got dragged into all this. Father just doesn't know to butt out of my love life."

"It's all right Arthur. The dinner and the company are great, even if it was forced on us." She smiled before her face abruptly changed its expression to confusion. "Hang on, you have a love life?"

"Yes—no—maybe?" He replied, blushing. Morgana started giggling.

"Oh I'm going to have so much fun with this! Who is the lucky lady, hmm?"

Arthur finally recovered himself. "No one _you_ know!" he replied. "Now finish your dinner." He tried to give her a stern look but it came off as discomfited. They chatted and ate through the various courses until they reached dessert.

"So, are you going to tell me who your mystery woman is?" Morgana asked.

"No," Arthur replied. "But I will tell you that nothing can ever happen between us, so I don't know what to do. If anything."

"Why not?"

"If I tell you that you'll figure her out."

"Is she married? Engaged? Not interested in you?"

"You're not going to get it—please stop." He put his head in his hands.

"Then she must be lower born." He groaned then smacked his hands on the table,

"I said 'stop.'" He pouted.

"You're cute when you pout, but you shouldn't give up on her." She reached out a hand to cover his.

"I won't. I just wish that . . . things were different. Maybe when I'm king I can change the rules," he mused. "Not that I want Father to pass on, or anything . . ."

"I know what you meant, Arthur. There are a few rules I'd like to change too. Hopefully one day we'll both get what we want." They finished their desserts, both lost in thought; he about Guinevere and she about exploring her magic freely. And a pair of deep blue eyes.

"How about you Morgana? Has anyone caught your fancy?"

"Really, Arthur?" She crossed her arms and gave him a cold stare.

"Turnabout is fair play."

"Fine. I'm a strong, independent woman. I don't need a man to 'fill my needs' or make me complete. So, no, there's no one."

"Riiiiiiiight. You, who could wrap any unmarried man, and probably most of the married ones, in Camelot around your little finger, fancies no one."

"Believe what you like, but it's true. Maybe someday, but for now, I enjoy playing the game too much."

"All right, if you say so." He held up his hands in a gesture of defeat.

"I do. And on that note, I think it's time I retired."

Morgana stood and Arthur followed a hair behind her. "Thanks for coming Morgana. You didn't have to follow the stupid rules but you did anyway." He gave her a quick hug then reached for both of their goblets. He handed hers over and said, "Here's to finding true love."

"To true love," she repeated. They both sipped and set their goblets down. She tilted her head up and gave him a friendly kiss. "Ugh, that was like kissing a brother. No offense."

"None taken," he replied, and shuddered a bit.

"Enjoy your next two evenings Arthur. I'll be watching!" She sashayed over to the door and he opened it for her. "Good night."

"Good night Morgana." He closed the door and leaned against it, sighing. "I'm sure you will," he said to his room. Then he walked over to his bed and slumped down onto it, waiting for Merlin to arrive to help him get ready for sleep.

xxxXxxx

Morgana walked down the corridor toward her chambers. _I'm glad that's over_, she thought. _Although I wonder who his mystery woman is? Maybe she'll be revealed in a few days?_ She was lost in thought when she abruptly walked into something. Or someone—hands reached out to stop her from falling.

She looked up to see Merlin's blue eyes looking back at her, polite concern in them. "Are you all right Milady?" he asked.

"F—fine," she replied, then looked down to her hips, where he'd placed his hands to catch her. She suddenly felt warm all over. He followed her gaze and blushed.

"Ah," he said, then removed his hands. "Um, so you are walking about the castle with no escort?"

"It would appear so," she looked up at him again. "Would you like to do me the honor?" _What? Am I flirting with him?_ She thought.

He looked taken aback for a moment, then grinned. "Of course, if Milady wishes it." He gave her a small bow.

"I do." He held out his arm and she placed her hand upon it. They continued like this the rest of the way to her chambers.

When they reached the door, she removed her hand and waited for him to open it. He gave her another bow and said, "Here we are Milady."

She walked past him to step inside, then turned to face him. "Thank you Merlin. I hope Prince Prat isn't too hard on you for being late."

"Oh, it won't be anything I can't handle."

"Please let me know if it is, and I will explain why to him. That will put him in his place."

He chuckled and said, "I will. Good night, Milady. May you have sweet dreams."

She looked into his eyes again, getting lost there for a long moment. She saw something there, something that . . . suddenly she heard Gwen say, "Milady?" and Morgana shook her head to clear it.

"Good night Merlin." He inclined his head, stepped back and closed the door for her.

She turned around briskly to face Gwen. "I think I'm ready for bed."

"How was the dinner?" Gwen asked.

"Oh, the usual. Just small talk with my brother figure. Pleasant enough and no sparks, as usual." She missed Gwen's silent sigh of relief.

"That sounds lovely," Gwen replied.

Morgana stepped behind her screen to change. "Yes. Although he did admit that he was in love, but he wouldn't tell me the name of the woman. So now I have a mystery to solve."

Gwen blushed deeply, and her reply came out somewhat strangled, "It sounds like it." She turned down the bedcovers for her mistress, who flounced into bed.

"Thank you Gwen, that will be all for tonight. Have a good night!"

"Sweet dreams, Morgana." A very relieved Gwen left her room and headed for home.

Morgana did not have a single nightmare the entire night.

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**Thanks for reading! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**I borrowed a bit of dialogue from 4.11 _The Hunter's Heart_. It fit so well! :)**

**larasmith- I hadn't planned on doing anything with M/M, but I do have some other fics planned with them. And Gwen does receive a bit of help.**

**Stacy- See what I said above . . . but I may be persuaded to add something to this after all.**

**A Fellow Reader- Arthur gets the best deal out of this competition I think: gorgeous women to look at.**

**Sherri- It sure is!**

* * *

The King himself dropped by Arthur's chambers shortly before the scheduled dinner with Princess Mithian. When Arthur saw who Merlin had let in, he had to force himself not to roll his eyes. He could predict how this conversation would go. Heck, he'd _heard_ it plenty of times before. Merlin played the dutiful servant and busied himself by tending to dinner preparations.

"Arthur," the King started off, "I need not remind you how important this particular dinner is."

"Of course Father. An alliance with Nemeth would be of great strategic value."

"Indeed. I trust you will be on your most courtly behavior this evening."

"Yes Father, I will woo the Princess through my charm and political knowledge." Arthur wanted to bang his head on the wall.

"See that you do. And please attempt to find feelings for her. I know that's how you young people prefer to make matches these days." Uther started looking aimlessly around the room. That's what he did when conversation went in an uncomfortable direction.

"I will do my best to let neither you nor Camelot's future down Father," Arthur lied. Mithian was probably a wonderful person, but Guinevere had already captured his heart. Even if they couldn't be together he didn't want to marry just for political gain.

"See that you do Arthur. Enjoy your evening." And with that, Uther swept from the room through the door Merlin had opened only just in time.

"Can you believe him?" Arthur nearly yelled once the door had closed. "He practically ordered me to fall in love with the Princess, because that's apparently what we 'young people prefer.' Gah!"

"Well apparently that's the impression you've given him, even before you and Gwen . . . "

"Stop right there. We're not discussing 'the incident,' remember?"

"Oh that's right. You wanted to go on denying your feelings, even though . . ." A soft knock on the chamber door interrupted what Merlin was going to say next. He moved to open it then bowed when Princess Mithian appeared. "Your Highness, Sire," he said, then bowed and left the room.

Arthur moved forward quickly to take the hand the Princess held out. He gave it a quick kiss and greeted her, "Princess Mithian, it's a pleasure to meet you properly."

"The pleasure is all mine, I'm sure. You're more handsome in person than reports suggested, Prince Arthur," she replied.

Arthur didn't know what to make of that, "Uhh . . ."

"Are we to stand here hungry all night, Your Highness?"

"Oh, of course not," Arthur said lamely. "Please, have a seat Princess." He held her chair out for her while she sat, then moved to sit in his.

"You may call me 'Mithian,' Your Highness," she stated.

"'Arthur,' please," he replied.

"Oh what a relief," Mithian breathed. "All this standing on ceremony is annoying when one is among equals."

"I totally agree. Now let's eat this fabulously well-prepared steak before it gets too cold." They proceeded to eat.

"So Mithian, you enjoy hunting? Any game in particular?" Arthur asked.

"Not really. I mainly enjoy the sheer thrill of it. I thrive on competition." She arched an eyebrow.

"Indeed. I don't know many women who enjoy hunting." He took a quick sip from his goblet.

"Oh I enjoy being outdoors in general. Exercise and fresh air promote good health and sunlight is good for the complexion."

Arthur opened his mouth to reply, but belched loudly instead. He flushed a bit and gave her an apologetic look. Mithian smiled and picked up her goblet. She took a large sip and swallowed quickly. She opened her mouth wide and emitted her own loud belch. They both broke down in laughter.

"And there go the rest of my nerves," Arthur said after they'd calmed down.

"I would hope so!" Mithian replied.

"Mithian, I've never met a Princess who could keep up with men so well."

"Well, there aren't many women hanging around Nemeth's court. Most tend to stay at their estates and perfect the domestic arts. So I've had to learn more masculine pursuits to keep entertained."

"So you tend to speak your mind as well?"

"Yes. It goes along with my 'masculine pursuits.' Besides, who's going to argue with the Princess?" They both chuckled at this.

"I like that. So that means I can be honest with you?"

"Please do."

"This whole 'Love Match' idea was concocted by my Father to marry me off. I agreed to it mainly to get him off my back and because I'd have at least some choice in a bride."

"I completely understand. I've had to parade before numerous suitors myself."

"Mithian, I really like you. We have many of the same interests and are getting on well so far?" She nodded. "My Father is really pushing me to choose you, mostly to strengthen Camelot's political standing."

She rolled her eyes. "I understand that too. Mine desires the same."

"If I had to please only my Father, I would acquiesce to his wish, but . . ."

"You're not falling in love with me. You have feelings for another."

He nodded slowly, "Yes."

Mithian dabbed at her lips with her napkin. "Well Arthur, we might as well skip to dessert. It's the best part of dinner, and I could use a little pick-me-up after this conversation."

Arthur gave her a look of disbelief, which morphed quickly into apologetic. "Mithian, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings by implying you're not good enough for me."

"Arthur, stop right there. I know you didn't intend that. I can tell you're a kind, thoughtful and generous man, unlike many of my suitors. I take no offense. Really." She smiled and took his hand. "Tell me . . . who is it that trumps a princess?"

"No one." He thought for a moment. "And everyone."

"What great family is she from?"

"None. She's the daughter of a blacksmith."

"And for her you would risk your relationship with your father? Camelot?" She quirked an eyebrow, amused.

"Without her, they're worth nothing to me."

"Hm." She appeared thoughtful, then nodded. "I would give up my own kingdom to be so loved." She reached for her dessert. He reached for his and they dug in.

"Someday you'll find true love Mithian."

"I believe that too. That's what keeps me going." A mischievous twinkle came into her eye. "I just hope it's among the many noblemen who knock at my door. What can you tell me about that really tall knight of yours? I believe I heard him called 'Sir Leon?'"

"Leon huh? Well let me tell you . . ." They discussed the knight while finishing their desserts. When she finished, Mithian made to stand and Arthur helped her.

"Thank you for a lovely evening Arthur. Even if it didn't end as either of our fathers hoped, I still had a nice time."

"You're welcome Princess. Keep the faith." He moved to open the door for her, and she lifted her hand for the expected kiss. He did so, and flashed her a smile.

"Farewell, Arthur."

"Farewell, Princess." He closed the door softly behind her then flopped down into a chair at the table. He put his head in his hands and groaned. _What will Father think_?

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**Thanks again for reading! I had originally planned for the next chapter to be the last, but I may have to poke fun at Uther and/or arrange consolation prizes for the losers. WDYT?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Aaaaand here's the Arwen date! :) I borrowed just a couple lines from 3.11, _Queen of Hearts_. It fit so well, I couldn't help myself!**

**Sherri- Everyone will at least be working toward a match by the time I'm done. :)**

**Stacy- I've got at least 1 more chapter planned.**

**larasmith- I totally agree about Leon & Mithian. There's a glimpse next chapter. Alternate dessert, eh? Intriguing, but I'm keeping this K+. **

* * *

The morning of Arthur's last date, Merlin was walking down the corridor toward his chamber. Suddenly a hand appeared on his arm and yanked him into the nearest alcove. It was Gwen, and she looked panicked.

"Merlin, you've got to help me!" she said.

"Gwen, shh. Think calm," he tried to soothe her.

She lowered her volume, "How can I be calm? I'm going to see Arthur tonight. How can I possibly compare to a Lady and a Princess?"

"Oh that's all." He chuckled then stopped when she glared at him.

"I'm nowhere near as beautiful as they are, or refined, or . . ."

"Gwen. You're doing it again. Take a deep breath and listen to me." She breathed in and out slowly then looked at him expectantly. "You _are_ beautiful. And you are _definitely_ refined enough for Arthur. I know what's happened between you. And trust me when I say you have _nothing_ to worry about. He loves you for _you_—if he really cared about that shallow stuff he wouldn't have noticed you." He took her hands to reassure her further.

"Thanks," she muttered sarcastically, then stopped for a moment to think. She looked him in the eyes searchingly. She must have found what she was looking for, because she said, "I trust you."

He gave her his usual broad grin. "Great! Now, let's go see Morgana."

"Morgana?"

"Yeah, if anyone can dress you to boost your confidence, it's Morgana." He then led her down the corridor to Morgana's chambers, where he left her in good hands.

xxxXxxx

Inside his chamber that evening, Arthur paced impatiently. Every once in a while he'd stop, mutter something then shake his head. It was starting to drive Merlin crazy—_he_ was supposed to be the neurotic one.

"Arthur . . ." He started.

"Don't talk to me!" Arthur snapped. To his surprise, Merlin started laughing. He rounded on the servant, "And just _wha_t is so funny?"

Merlin put down the tray he'd been carrying. "You're nervous."

"I am not, _Mer_lin. I'm just working off all this extra energy I seem to have."

"Whatever you say Sire." He paused for a moment. "But if it helps, Gwen is just as, um, _energetic_ as you." He picked up the tray again while Arthur stared at him, his mouth hanging open. "Oh, and you might want to close your mouth. Gwen probably wouldn't enjoy seeing caught flies in there." Arthur closed his mouth and flopped down on his bed.

"What am I going to say? What am I going to do?" Arthur whined. Merlin rolled his eyes. The great Arthur Pendragon, Prince of Camelot and fiercest warrior in the realm was nervous about talking to a girl.

"Arthur, it's just Gwen. You like her, she likes you. You don't have to change anything about yourself for her. Just _be_ yourself."

Arthur sat up and shot Merlin a quizzical look. "There you go, acting wise again. Just when you think you know someone . . ."

Merlin opened his mouth to reply, but was again interrupted by a knock on the door. "That'll be Gwen, I expect." Arthur stood up quickly and ran over to a mirror. Merlin walked over to the door and opened it while Arthur darted over to the table.

Gwen stepped through the door, looking absolutely gorgeous, in Arthur's opinion. His mouth dropped open again. Merlin, who was behind Gwen, mimed closing his mouth. Luckily Arthur caught on and closed his mouth. Again.

"Enjoy your evening, you two," Merlin said, then walked out the door and closed it behind him.

"Guinevere, you look . . . amazing," Arthur stammered out. She was wearing a deep purple velvet dress, trimmed with delicate lace at the cuffs, neckline, waist, and skirt bottom. Her shawl matched the dress's lace and was draped over her elbows. Most of her curly hair was piled atop her head, with a few strands dangling by her ears. Her make-up looked natural; used just to enhance her natural beauty. She smelled lightly of rose and vanilla—it made her seem exotic. All in all, Arthur had a hard time looking away from her.

"Thank you," she replied softly, blushing and inclining her head slightly.

He moved forward rapidly, and took her hand in his. Lifting it to his lips, he bestowed a fervent lingering kiss on it. Startled, she lifted her eyes to his and gasped at what she saw there. He lowered their joined hands and led her to the table, where he pulled out her chair for her before sitting in his.

Gwen reached out automatically to serve their dinner. Arthur restrained her by her wrist and said, "You are not here as a servant." He took over from her, serving her first, then himself and they began eating.

"This is certainly different," Gwen mused.

"I guess it would be, for you," Arthur chuckled. "But being here with you . . . there's no place I'd rather be and no one I'd rather be with."

Gwen blushed. "Flattery will get you . . . almost everywhere." He smiled while she giggled a little. He joined in.

"Oh, laughing helps me unwind," he replied. "And being here with you lets me be myself."

"I like that, you being yourself."

"It's refreshing. I can be open with you." He paused to think a moment. "Sometimes I dream of leaving Camelot."

"Really? Where would you go?"

"I don't know. Somewhere where nobody knew who I was. I'd get some land and become a farmer."

Gwen laughed at this. "I can hardly see you toiling away in the fields all day."

"Obviously I'd take Merlin with me; he can do all the hard work."

"I'm sure he'd love that."

"He's the one who reminded me of why I'm here with you." He took her hand again.

"He's awfully good at helping people like that."

"Indeed. But let's not talk about him." They looked into each others' eyes, getting lost for a few minutes.

"Arthur," Gwen said quietly. "Arthur, if you don't let go of my hand we'll never finish dinner."

He blinked and came out of his trance. "Sorry. Let's do that. I have a surprise for you when we're finished." She smiled sweetly and they got on with their dinner, chatting over trivialities while they ate.

They reached dessert without too many more delays. It was a delicious type of cake Gwen had never tasted before. As she ate, she pondered how she came to be here, with him. She'd had no chance of being selected for that silly "Love Match" game. Only noblewomen had been considered. But somehow, she'd gotten the notice and now here she was. It was almost magical! She smiled as she looked at Arthur. He smiled back at her. What had she done to deserve a man like him? She was sure she loved him and he loved her in return. Stupid stupid laws!

They'd both finished while she'd been pondering. He took her hand and squeezed it gently. "Now stay right here," he said. He got up and moved their dishes to the other end of the table, then crossed over to his wardrobe. Reaching inside, he pulled out a small wrapped package and walked back to the table and sat.

He handed her the package and said, "Open it."

She did as she was bid. Under the cloth wrapper was a small box, which she opened. Inside was nestled a long, beautiful chain. It was simple, as if he knew she didn't care for ostentatious gifts. As she lifted it out, she noticed a ring dangling on the chain. It was a plain gold band. It puzzled her. "Arthur . . .?" She started to speak.

He took both her hands in his. "Guinevere, it frustrates me to no end that we can't be together like we want. I know you feel the same." She nodded. "I love you, and I can tell that you love me." She nodded again. "So I wanted to give you this," he indicated the ring, "as a reminder of that love and as a promise that I will marry no other as long as I draw breath." He pulled them both up to standing.

"Oh Arthur!" She exclaimed, and threw herself into his arms. To his surprise, she burst into tears.

"Guinevere, what's wrong?" He held her a bit tighter.

She stepped back a little to look up at him. "N-nothing. Everything's right." He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. She dabbed at her eyes with it and smiled. "I'm just so happy right now, I feel like my heart could burst."

He gathered her in his arms again. "I don't ever want you to feel as if you're not loved. Even on days I seem to ignore you, know that I will always love you. However hard it gets, however long we have to wait, please remember that." He took the chain from her and slid it over her head so it would fall around her neck. "There now. Wear this always, to remind you of how I feel."

"I will." He put a hand to her face, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Then he drew his hand down to her chin and tipped it upward while he leaned down to press their lips together. That hand drifted to the back of her head to tangle in her hair while the other went to her waist to secure his hold.

Gwen shivered at the contact of their lips. She felt warm, safe and secure. He would never let her down and she would wait for him, as long as it took. Someday they would be together, out in the open and they would be free to marry. For now, this was enough.

As the kiss broke, he held out his arm for her and she tucked her hand around it and laid it on top. They set off for her home at a slow walk, not needing to speak. Just enjoying the evening and the promise it held for the future.

xxxXxxx

Not too far away, in Gaius's chambers, Merlin released the scrying spell he'd held over the bowl of water. He'd seen enough to be sure Arthur and Guinevere would stay true to each other and end up together. _Phew, now I don't have to worry much about_ that _facet of my destiny_, he thought, then flopped to his bed to sleep, at last.

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**Thanks again for reading/favoriting/following! Even if "favoriting" isn't actually a word. Ha, spell-check. :P**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here it is, the last chapter and I'm marking it "complete." What started out in my head as a fun one-shot morphed into a multi-chap with an actual ploy. :O Thank you so much for taking the time to read my nutty story. 3 I have no _immediate_ plans for a sequel; I've got lots of ideas clamoring for attention, but I've sort of left my options open at the end. You'll see. :)**

**Review replies-**

**Guest with the :I -Thank you! :) You'll see what Morgana does; I hope it works for ya.**

**larasmith- Uther is a major scumbag and I don't like using him except to make fun of him. Not so much here, maybe.**

**Stacy- Thank you! And I agree that Merlin will always protect Arwen. He's so cute when fussing about them in S4. :)**

**Sherri- Thanks! Hope you like the end.**

* * *

Arthur was woken the next morning by Merlin's usual ritual of "Rise and shine!" and opening of the drapes. He laid there a minute, thinking about the events of last evening. _Ahhh_. Then he remembered what he had to do today. The day of reckoning. Then he scowled.

"Do you have to be so cheerful?" he said to Merlin's back.

Merlin turned around and quirked an eyebrow at him. "Aw, what's wrong? Didn't you have a _wonderful_ evening?"

"Oh yes . . ." He got a dreamy look on his face before it fell again. "But today I have to tell Father who my choice is."

"And he's not gonna like it. Her."

"Your genius never ceases to astound me." He wanted to throw something but nothing was handy.

"Well, you won't know unless you try. Although in this case . . ."

"Merlin?

"Shut up?"

"You got it."

Arthur got dressed and ate breakfast in almost total silence for once. _It must be some kind of record for Merlin to go without speaking for so long_. But eventually Arthur had dawdled long enough, and he headed for the council chamber, Merlin trailing along behind.

He took a deep breath before entering; Merlin briefly put his hand on Arthur's shoulder. Arthur indicated to the guards to open the door and they entered. Much of the court was inside, but the one person who really mattered, Guinevere, was there, standing beside Morgana, who sat on one side of Uther. They walked toward the king, stopping a few feet away. Arthur bowed.

"Arthur. I assume you've made your decision," the king said.

"Yes," Arthur replied.

"And? Who wins the competition?" Uther prompted impatiently.

"Lady Jennafær of Northumbria. Or as she's more commonly known as," he paused to gesture Gwen over to him. "Guinevere." She walked over and stood next to him.

Uther stood abruptly. "The serving girl? But how . . . why . . . who?"

"We are in love, and I wish to marry her." He took Gwen's hand.

"But where is Lady Jennafær?"

"Father, this _is_ Lady Jennafær. Look at her."

Uther walked closer to Gwen and in a full circle around her. Gwen helpfully held her hair in the same hairstyle she'd had during the game. Uther's eyes widened in recognition. "It _is_ you! But how? You weren't supposed to be invited. Only noblewomen . . ."

"_I_ got the invitation, so I came," Gwen replied simply.

"Silence," Uther directed her. "Arthur?"

"It happened as she said. I love _her_ and I choose _her_. I _will_ marry her Father."

Uther marched angrily to his throne and turned back around to face Arthur. "She's a serving girl. You will _not_ marry her. You will marry within your station. Choose one of the other women. One of the other _noblewomen_."

Arthur stepped in front of Gwen and pulled her slightly behind him. "No."

"You dare defy me?" Uther yelled. He indicated to the guards to herd everyone out of the room except those involved in the "discussion." Morgana threw Gwen a look of support as she left, walking behind Merlin. "Now Arthur," Uther tried more reasonably.

"I've already told you how I feel about Guinevere. I will marry no other."

"Fine. That's just fine. Then you will not marry her as long as I live. And you will not be seen with her either. If I catch you together, she will be banished from Camelot."

"But Father . . ."

"If you prefer, I can banish her _now_." Gwen looked devastated.

"NO!" Arthur yelled. He turned to face Gwen and took her hands. "Remember what I told you last night," he whispered. "We _will_ find a way, someday." He brought her hands together in one of his and kissed them.

"Arthur," Uther interjected warningly.

"Goodbye, Guinevere."

"Goodbye, Arthur," she replied, and left the room.

"This is for the best, Arthur. You must learn that, as king, you cannot always have what you want."

"Thanks Father," Arthur replied sarcastically, then turned on his heel and marched from the room. It was time to relieve some tension by bashing around a few of his knights.

xxxXxxx

Arthur mock-battled his knights for _several_ hours. He felt much better at the end. Well, he felt he could resist killing someone, anyway. He remembered that he'd promised Princess Mithian he'd introduce her to Sir Leon. After he'd put his sword away, he approached Leon, who was conversing with his squire.

"Sir Leon, a word, if you please."

"Of course Sire." He dismissed the squire and they walked a short way away from the rest of the knights.

"Leon, I've a sort of odd request of you." Leon looked puzzled, but nodded for him to continue. "Her Highness, Princess Mithian, would like to meet you."

"Me, Sire?"

"Yes. Would you consent to a late lunch with me and her? In the royal dining room." When Leon looked apprehensive, he added, "This isn't an order. You _can_ say no."

Leon cracked a smile. "And refuse such a beautiful woman as the Princess? No, I'll come."

And that's how Arthur found himself in the dining room with Leon, Mithian and Merlin, who was serving them. Fortunately he'd gotten to bathe and re-dress, as had Leon.

He and Leon had arrived first, so when Mithian came in, they stood. "Princess Mithian," he said, and walked over to her and kissed her hand. "Let me introduce you to my First Knight, Sir Leon. Leon, Princess Mithian."

Leon walked over to them and took her hand to kiss it. "The pleasure is all mine, Princess."

"Not _all_ yours, Sir Leon," she replied, and winked. Leon looked a little stunned at this gesture.

Arthur intervened, "Well, shall we eat?" He walked to the table, letting Leon attend Mithian.

They sat and began eating. Most of the conversation was carried on by Leon and Mithian. They conversed about topics ranging from hunting to jousting to opinions of the Saxons' movements. Whenever Arthur glanced at Merlin, he had a huge cheeky grin on his face. Arthur mentally rolled his eyes.

It certainly looked like Leon and Mithian were getting along fine. Better than fine, actually. He watched as Leon said something witty and Mithian laughed delightedly. Leon was watching her laugh with a goofy little smile on his face. _Well, at least one of us can be with someone we want_.

A little while later, he finished eating. He glanced over at his companions' plates. They were nowhere near done. He sighed quietly, then spoke up, "Well, I'd better be off. I've got . . . things to attend to this afternoon." Still talking, they glanced at him briefly and tossed him identical goodbye waves. _Scary_.

He stood and said to Merlin, "Shall we?"

"Should I stay to attend them?" Merlin asked.

"Nah. Leave the pitcher on the table. I'm sure they'll be fine." Merlin did as he was told, and they walked out together, leaving the chatting couple to get better acquainted.

xxxXxxx

Later, in the evening, Morgana and Gwen were chatting over dinner. Well, Morgana was eating dinner and Gwen was bustling around Morgana's chambers, tidying them before bedtime.

"I still can't believe you're Arthur's mystery sweetheart! How did it begin?" Morgana asked.

Gwen blushed. "I'd tell you, but it involves a secret that isn't mine."

"Oh, go on."

"Well, it involves that jousting tournament several months ago; the one Arthur didn't participate in."

"Oh, _that_ tournament. The one he _pretended_ to not participate in." Gwen's mouth dropped open in surprise. "Don't worry Gwen, he told me about it. It looks like he didn't tell me _everything_ though." She winked.

"Ah, no," Gwen replied. "He, uh, stayed at my house for the duration of the tournament."

"Gwen, you sly temptress!"

"No! It wasn't like that! I was just doing Merlin a favor by letting him stay with me. We spent a lot of time together. You do that when you live together." She giggled nervously.

"Oh I see. You talked, got familiar with one another, and it just _happened_."

"Yeah," Gwen said breathlessly. "One night I said something rather boldly, and he invited me to speak my opinion of his faults. So I did. I think he respected that."

"He does seem to respect that in certain people," Morgana mused.

"Well, the morning before the final, I offered him a token, and . . . he kissed me. Ever since, we've just kind of danced around the subject. But he was obviously more affected than I thought." She blushed again.

"Aww, that's so sweet Gwen! I wish Uther wasn't so opposed to you two marrying."

"So do I." Tears filled Gwen's eyes. They hadn't been far from the surface all day.

"Oh Gwen." Morgana jumped up to embrace Gwen fiercely. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No, it's fine," Gwen sniffed. "Here, let me show you this." She stepped back a bit and withdrew a chain from the front of her dress. On the end of it was a plain gold ring. She held it in the palm of her hand so Morgana could see it better.

"What's this?" Morgana asked.

"Arthur gave it to me last night. He said it was to remind me of how he feels about me, even when we're not around each other. He must have had an idea of what Uther would say this morning." She sighed.

"Gwen, this is beautiful! And so romantic. He really _does_ love you a lot."

"I know. And it will help me remember his feelings, especially now. Maybe when he's king he can change the law. I mean, I don't want the King to die soon or anything. Just . . ."

"I think I know what you mean. It would be nice if we could be with whomever we wanted, regardless of rank or position . . ." She stared out into the distance for a minute.

Gwen continued her work, finishing by turning down the bed. "Would you like to change now Morgana?"

Morgana startled back into awareness. "No, thank you Gwen. I'm not quite tired yet."

"Would you like me to visit Gaius to ask for a sleeping draught?"

"No, thank you Gwen," she replied, then got an idea. "I think I'll visit him myself. I've got to ask him something anyway." That was a lie—it wasn't Gaius she wanted to talk to.

One of Gwen's eyebrows rose, but she didn't comment on that. "Very well, My Lady. Is there anything else you need before I leave?"

"I think that's all Gwen. Have a good night."

"Sweet dreams, Morgana."

Morgana waited until Gwen had been gone a few minutes, then got up and left her chambers. As she walked to Gaius's chambers, she thought about what she would say. _I never thanked you enough for sending me to the Druids._ Hmm. _I wanted to thank you for helping me while the Witchfinder was here._ Better. Or maybe . . .

She looked up just in time to avoid running into Gaius's door. _Here I go!_ She opened the door and walked into the main chamber. Merlin sat at the table alone at the table, eating dinner. He looked up when the door closed behind her. He stood up so quickly he nearly knocked his plate to the floor. "Milady! Ah, how can I help you?"

She looked around. "Is Gaius here?"

"No, he's down in the lower town, attending a birth. I guess babies come when they want, eh? He laughed nervously.

"Oh that's all right. I can talk to him another time." She noticed he was standing there awkwardly. "Oh, you can go ahead and finish your dinner. Don't mind me."

He gave her an odd look, but sat down anyway. As he finished eating, she sat down across from him and looked around her. An open book here, a mortar and pestle there, something bubbling over the fire—there was no shortage of things to do around here, apparently. "Did you want a sleeping draught?"

"What?" Morgana had been caught staring off into space again.

"Did you want a sleeping draught? We have some . . ."

"No thanks. I actually came to talk to _you_."

"Me? Whatever for?"

"Oh, I couldn't sleep, and Gwen's already gone home. I wanted to talk to someone my own age and figured you'd still be awake."

"Okay. Um, what do you want to talk about?" He moved his empty plate to the side.

"Hmm. Arthur and Gwen? So that's kind of a surprise huh?"

"Yeah. Well, not for me. I've known for a while actually."

"Really? When did you find out? I'm around Gwen all the time and I had no idea."

"Remember when you both were taken and you got away?"

She nodded. "How could I forget?"

"While we were on our way to rescue her, I noticed Arthur was a lot more agitated than normal. He didn't want to stop to rest, and when we did, he didn't sleep. And he seemed to take a few more risks than normal, just so we could get to Gwen as quickly as possible. I finally got him to admit how he felt about her, but he was in such despair I didn't press him about it."

"Wow, poor man."

"Yeah. But I think they'll be together someday. I have a feeling."

"Really? After Uther's gone?"

"Probably. I mean, I don't want him to die right now or anything, I'm not going to . . ."

Morgana giggled. "Relax Merlin. No one thinks you would, even if you could."

"Yeah, scrawny me. Can't wield a sword to save my own life."

"I didn't mean it like that. Okay, I kind of did, sorry. But you've got lots of other great qualities."

"Oh, so now I'm worth admiration? Do tell." He smirked.

"Well, you're a good friend. Loyal, kind, selfless, hardworking, cheerful . . . and since you've been here, Arthur's been less of a prat."

He blinked at her for a few moments, then looked her in the eyes, and said slowly, "Do you really think that?"

Morgana stared back, into those blue, blue eyes. "Yes. And I'm not the only one. Gwen, Arthur . . ." she stopped when he took one of her hands.

"Thank you Morgana. It's nice to hear it from someone besides Gaius." Just then he glanced down and saw their hands together. He tried to withdraw it, but she held on and brought her other one over to cover his.

"Merlin, do you ever wish for something you could probably never have?"

"W-What do you mean?" He had lots of reasons to be nervous at this question.

"Oh, like I wish I didn't have to hide part of myself, I wish people could be with whomever they wanted, regardless of their place in society . . . I speak of Arthur and Gwen, of course."

He gave her a thoughtful look. "Of course. But yeah, I have several wishes that look like they'll never come to anything."

"Have you ever had a good friend that you always got along with, who made you laugh, and who'd do anything for you . . . then woke up one morning and realize you felt differently about them?"

He looked _very_ surprised at this. "Um, I . . ." She put a finger over his mouth to stop him.

"Shh. Well, that recently happened to me. And I don't know what, if anything, I should do about it."

_Is she trying to say . . ?_ He looked into her eyes again, and found something indefinable. "Do they feel the same way?"

"I don't know. And I'm afraid to ask. Me, the indomitable Lady Morgana, afraid. Who'd believe it?"

"I think we're all afraid of something, but I don't think you should give up hope." He reached out and took her other hand in his free one. _She's looking at me like_ . . .

"So you think I should move forward, having hope things will work out?" _Has he figured me out yet?_

"Yes, there's always hope. It's possible this person could be afraid too. I mean, you're 'the indomitable Lady Morgana,' so you seem unattainable." _So I've thought for over a year_.

"Do _you_ think I'm unattainable?" He looked again into those jade-green eyes and almost got lost.

"Ah—yes—no—um, what was the question?" She'd gotten him flustered. Well _that_ was an answer in and of itself. She giggled.

"I see how it is." She withdrew a hand and touched his face briefly. "If only I had some way to know for sure."

He blinked at her, his flustered look changing to one of determination. "Indeed, Milady. And ask yourself what you would regret more—being safe and surely missing out on happiness, or taking a risk and be rewarded."

Just then, the clock struck midnight. "Goodness, it's late," she said, and stood, reluctantly letting go of his hand. She came around to Merlin's side of the table. "Thanks for keeping me company, Merlin."

"Of course. I'm at _your_ disposal."

She noticed the slight emphasis; her heartbeat picked up a bit. "Well, goodnight then."

"Goodnight, Milady."

They stared at each other for an awkward moment before she stepped over to give him an impulsive hug. He hesitantly put his arms around her. _So warm_, they both thought. She whispered, "See you tomorrow," before taking a small step back, then darting forward again to kiss his cheek. Then she stepped away, turned around and hurried to the door.

"Tomorrow," he said faintly. She gave him a little wave before leaving the room. He put a hand to the cheek she'd kissed. _What just happened here? Does she? Will she? Will I?_

He stood there deliberating various unanswerable questions in his head until an exhausted Gaius came home. "Merlin, why are you standing in the middle of the room, talking to yourself?"

He jumped, startled back into awareness. "Ah, nothing important . . . I've got to go to bed. Yeah, sleep will help. Good old sleep. Good." And with that dubious statement, he turned and walked up to his room, closing the door behind him.

"That boy . . ." Gaius said to himself. "Greatest warlock ever, hmm. Maybe _someday_ he'll figure out girls." He got ready for bed and blew out the candles. _Good luck with that_, he thought, before drifting into a sound sleep.

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